Who You Gonna Call When Your Neon’s Ailing? The Neon Doctor

Neon. An inert gas. 2/3 the density of air. When put into electric signs it glows, catches your eye. You can read about Neon Signs here.

Not sure how much neon signage you have in your neighborhood but there’s a lot around the city.

I was filling up my car’s gas tank and looked across the street.

After I screwed on the gas cap, I got my camera out of my school bag. I had the long lens.

Another day I’ll go and visit the interior and ask if the Neon Doctor is in.

Good to know there’s a place that can restore and repair the neon signs.

From across the street. Shot with a Canon 70-200 lens L series.

Cropped shot. I will get energized and go and actually visit the place after school one day.

Following Mr. John’s Truck Up the Narrow Road

One day BEAUTY, the next day NECESSITY- Andy said the blog is like a Carousel Slide Show and you just don’t know what’s next–

On the way to school one morning. Shot with old iPhone 4. How about that narrow road Parkfield Street?

Not sure how a toilet got named a John, so I looked it up and found out they are named for Sir John Harrington and that there is even a toilet museum.

One of my favorite posts on the blog is the pink toilet in the snow.

What People Do in Their Car on the Way to Work

I’ve seen women brush on mascara at a red light, adjust the rearview mirror, apply lipstick.

Lots of coffee drinking. Dancing. Singing.

Cereal eating. Bagel noshing. People talk on the phone.

Guess who found this shot last summer? That’s right. On the way to swim practice.

Granddaughter Anna (9). Remember her photograph of the pickup truck full of mannequin legs?

“Look! That guy’s brushing his teeth!”

(An electric/battery toothbrush!) You just wonder where he would spit!

I had the camera in my bag and got it out as quick as I could. My daughter-in-law was driving so that was good.

This is the shot I was able to get as we passed. He was getting ready to exit.

My Maps App Took Me Here to Cross the Mon?

(I think I read somewhere- don’t use alliteration? Mmmmmmmmm.)

How did I end up here, looking to cross the Mon?

I couldn’t believe it when I landed right in front of this sign. Bridge Closed. It was just getting dark.

Turns out this bridge to Donora has been closed since 2009!!! The way you have to go now is a four mile addition to the trip.

The Monongahela River winds all around the place. I’d crossed it at Homestead at the beginning of my journey.

Then I found out later this bridge is slated to be demolished.

With the help of my son’s MIL, Marlene, on the phone in Hardy, Virginia, I found the Monessen Bridge and wound around and up and over to Donora.

You can’t always trust your Maps App. At least the sign didn’t say BRIDGE OUT! It was one of three routes. Better try a different one next time. I read about the major supports having deteriorated. Maybe the maps app just wanted to show me it for a photo op?

Took this right out of the passenger window

Early Morning Fill-Up

Gas dependent and running on E is no way to start the day en route to school. So I pulled into the Shell station on Baum Boulevard and watched the tank fill up at 3.95 a gallon- feeling a bit glum about the state of things…yup, I should have gotten the much needed gas the afternoon before the early morning rush.

but then I looked up and saw the UTZ snack truck making a delivery to the little convenient store inside and there was a light on inside the truck. The morning sky, the snack truck, the invitation to play the lottery and skip work altogether? The scene cheered me.

Shot it with the old iPhone 4, although I am seriously thinking I need that version 5, if for nothing else the improved camera!!

What People Do While Driving

The list of activities is long

Eating, talking on the phone, putting on makeup, shaving with an electric razor, texting, singing, listening to music, drinking coffee. How about this one?

But I have never seen an electric toothbrush at work in this location!

No kidding. And this shot spotted by granddaughter Anna from the back of the van on our way to her Buckeyes swim practice.